Now I really did it :((

[MarionC]

Kate, hi. You are sounding bright eyed and bushy-tailed this evening...or what time it is.
Glad to hear you being upbeat. Have a great weekend!

 

[Austina]

Happy Friday lovelies

@marcy those slippers are da bomb Hope you weren’t too cold today, and yay for it being the weekend. To the problem with the sprinklers, hope you can get it sorted out quickly. I know Adam had a problem with a sprinkler head earlier this year, and fortunately his gardener was able to sort it out.

Sounds like you’ve got a fun weekend planned @Tekate, and YES, one of these days we’ll meet up. Keeping everything crossed for your son, I don’t think anyone ever thinks an interview went well. I liked Eugenie’s dress, but I LOVED the tiara, total to die for piece Oh to have a Granny to borrow such pieces from.

Good job @Jimmianne, the room looks so much better. Sending calming vibes for your mammoth trek back to the US on Monday.

I hope it wasn’t too cold to go cycling today @missy, sounds like you’re well prepared for the weather. It’s been blowing a gale here, I looked like a scarecrow when we got back from taking Dottie out.

Sorry that I forgot to answer your question about the flu jab, Colin was offered it, but declined. We don’t mix with that many people, and are both healthy. Hopefully you won’t have any ill effects from it.

You’ll be please to know, I’m no longer channelling Pepe Le Pew and can see again.

Forecast for tomorrow is horrible, rain, rain and more rain.

We’re taking our friends out for dinner, (the ones who got married recently), other than that, a quiet Sunday for us.

Wishing all the NIRDIs a lovely weekend.

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

TGIF. It is 11 degrees out there and supposed to hit 16 today. But tomorrow 2 degrees then 24 next week. Whatev's. Took a stroll after I went to the market and the winds are brutal--wind warning up to 120 kms per hour. Better than snow!!

I hope to ride next week in the warmer temps as I am loathe to put my bike away just yet.

Austina--poo to rain. I felt like Pooh today--such a blustery day!!

Hello to all the NIRDI's. I am off to make Thai coconut curry soup. super yum

cheers--Sharon

 

[Tekate]

(((Jimmianne))) love you girl.. my crazy mom always said bright eyed and bushy tailed!!!

right now it's 4:44pm here, are you in France? you are asleep then..

Jimmi you will get this I'm sure.. I haven't heard any ominous or bad news from my sons, I lost 3 lbs and i'm alive!...s

sending you good vibes girl.

@Jimmianne

Kate, hi. You are sounding bright eyed and bushy-tailed this evening...or what time it is.
Glad to hear you being upbeat. Have a great weekend!

 

[Slickk]

Hi all!
Thank you so much for the well wishes. I really do appreciate them and check in daily even if I don’t have a chance to post. Today I saw the second surgeon, there will be two. One for the jaw reconstruction, and one for the removal of the fibula and he will attach the veins and artery and blood vessels into the neck with a microscope. I’m joking at work that I will literally have my foot put in my mouth. Well, not quite but ya gotta laugh or I’ll cry. I will be in a cast for a week or two and on a walker or a cane for a month or so. Argh! I’m way too young for a cane...Surgery is scheduled for the first week of December so my winter break allows for a ‘free’ week off.
@missy your ring never ceases to amaze me with those colors and I just love seeing your coast pics. Makes me feel peaceful, almost like I am there. I will get a flu shot, my school offers them to us. I hope your arm is feeling better! It always hurts me too. I also hope you are feeling well and keeping warm too. Today the weather turned chilllly. Enjoy your weekend and please know that your warm thoughts always make me smile every time I read your posts. Thank you Will you be leaving your stone in the halo?

Hey! @Tekate How ya feeling? I am so happy for you that you got a three month reprieve. Lucky you. Are you still on the antibiotics? I do hope you are tolerating them well. Seriously, my surgeons cannot believe how bad my infection got. They never see this. But since I am otherwise healthy and fit they think the surgery will be a success. This surgery is primarily used for cancer patients. I am still on the Amoxicillin, but my inflammatory markers are up again. I see the infectious disease dr Tuesday and I am nervous....it’s still in the high normal range but it quadrupled. I wonder if it was the ceasing of the hyperbaric or because I had a cold. I do hope you continue to feel well and heal.

@marcy I love the slippers! I am impressed that he wears them. So cute! Sorry it’s getting cold already by you. The summer is way too short. Stay warm and enjoy your weekend!

@Jimmianne Wow, I love your before and after pics. Is this your home in France? Lovely job.

@Austina Hi! Hope all is well and I just know you’re still loving Bella!

Hi to all the NIRDIs! Happy Friday and enjoy the weekend! We’re looking at wedding venues for DS this weekend.

 

[MarionC]

Sandeek, thank you. I have a little row house in a small village. It has been a very satisfying project, as the seller left the house hoarder worthy chock-a-block with furniture, dishes, junk...and I have been slowly throwing things out and cleaning. They also covered many of the old stone walls with panelling and wallpaper. Slowly getting rid of that too....it’s therapy!

I am so sad for what you are going through and you are very brave. It sounds as though you have wonderful doctors and it will be sorted out in the not too too distant future, but for now I’m sending you healing dust and healing vibes, good thoughts and love.

 

[marcy]

Hi NIRDI’s!

Jimmianne, I am glad Marty’s bunny slippers made your day. I noticed I need to sew one of them back down again. You will have a long voyage home. I remember well how long it took when Marty was traveling overseas. Safe travels. That room will be a fabulous studio for you. Nice.

Missy, that’s good I could start your day with a good laugh. I hope your shot is feeling better, you probably don’t have an ounce of padding to buffer some of the pain. Your roses are gorgeous but it is sad when flowers wilt up and die. Diamonds have a much longer shelf life. Too funny about asking Greg about blowing out the sprinklers. Marty always wants to do it himself rather than hire someone to take care of it for him. He said replacing the pipe that broke won’t be a big deal. I hope the wind wasn’t too bad for cycling. You scored big time on jackets and sandals. Nice. Bubbalah looks amazing in the sunlight.

Kate, snow is peaceful. More often than not it comes down mostly horizontal here. I am honestly shocked Marty wears his bunny shippers. The slippers are Dear Foam or something like that and have held up well. I bet your son’s MIL will have a lot of damage from the hurricane. I saw more videos today; so many places are utterly devastated. Have a great time with your HS friends.

Austina, sprinklers certainly can be temperamental. I am glad Adam got his problem worked out. i certainly surprised Marty with his bunny slippers. They were a Christmas gift. I am glad you can see again. Woo hoo! Oh no to a very rainy weekend. Stay safe and warm.

Sharon, I am with you on TGIF. Sorry to hear it’s so cold and windy there.

Sandeek, I hate to hear what you’ll be going through with your surgeries but we are here for you and I am sure you’ll be glad to get it all behind you. Good luck with your doctor next week; I hope your infection is gone. I am surprised Marty wears his slippers too. I am not enjoying the cold weather. Have fun looking at wedding venues this weekend.

I am so glad the weekend is here. My sister and BIL were coming to visit on Sunday but since we have snow in the forecast they are going to come up next week. Marty has to blow out the sprinklers (he didn’t get to it today) plus get sand for the back of his pickup. I also nagged at him to get a winter survival kit for his truck. He thinks he is invincible. I worry he is fragile.

Have a wonderful weekend!
Marcy

 

[Tekate]

@Sandeek yup still on doxy right now, she has me on a protocol of 6 weeks doxy 6 weeks clind because she is afraid I will get the horrible C-Diff, I have 5 mos to go on antibiotics, maybe longer since I can't take the cillin fam.

Sandeek, did your osteomyelitis go undiagnosed for a long time? Mine was probably a one year b4 diagnosis altho the OS kept saying: I'm going to treat you like you have osteomyelitis ??, then when he placed the implant into the same pocket as the tooth that started this whole shebang 2 years ago ALL hell broke loose in my jaw that pain - and I'm sure yours has been worse - made my hip surgery seem like a trip to the park.. I keep a keen eye out for when you post updates because I am so sorry your osteo. got this bad.

thank you for asking btw!

sending a hug to you fer sure.

 

[missy]

GM girls!

@Sandeek I am glad you got the first consult over with and are on your way towards a full recovery. I am so sorry for all you are going through and completely impressed with how well you are dealing with all of this mess. And LOL yes to literally putting your foot in your mouth. A good sense of humor helps for sure. I am always here for you. I know having support and having others care makes a difference and we are all here for you however we can be. Never hesitate to contact me. I mean that sincerely. Sending you love and hugs and healing vibes and good thoughts. (((Hugs))). Thank you for your kind generous compliments.

@Tekate so glad Chris had a great birthday. I hope he gets the job of his dreams. And if he wants Goldman Sachs I hope he gets it. Greg says Goldman Sachs is an intense pressure cooker atmosphere but you can get great experience there as a stepping stone to something else. Sending him lots of good luck vibes. I too am looking forward to our GTG in November. Hope you are enjoying a wonderful weekend! Thanks for all your lovely comments. Hoping your 5 months left of antibiotic go smoothly dear Kate and that you do not get the horrid C-Diff. Fingers and toes crossed for you!

@marcy I am with you. Our men think they are invincible but we know no one is invincible. Good luck to him with the sprinklers today and hope he gets that winter survival kit. Glad your BIL and sister are visiting you next weekend instead of this snowy one. It is raining here right now and I hope it clears up later as tomorrow is our last day here and well our cycling goal cannot be reached if we are not cycling. Thanks for the Bubbalah compliments. You are too sweet.

@canuk-gal I hear you and hope your weather warms up and that you do get some cycling in before the winter arrives in full force. Sending you warm thoughts and warm hugs.

Yesterday we cycled with me in my new gear all bundled up and it was good.
I am wearing two of my new jackets here...one under the other. Haha and it was in the 60s yesterday but I am very sensitive to temp changes. Cold or hot. I am the princess in the pea I know it.




As we were cycling yesterday near the end of our ride we ran into a beautiful gray feral who was starving and thank goodness we carry cat food with us wherever we go for such occasions. Breaks my heart this feral was literally starving. Ate the whole can of wet food and was still hungry but we had nothing left. He even rubbed up against us and ferals never do that unless they are desperate. He is located far from where we live but hoping maybe today or tomorrow we can ride back there and see if he is still around and feed him again. I dont know what else to do as there are so so many ferals all over the shore. Greg says we cannot save them all and we have enough on our plate with the ferals we are caring for...that's another story as the raccoons are eating all the food and we cannot sustain this rate of food consumption when we are back in NY. Within 2 days they are consuming 40 lbs of food. It's crazy and Greg is trying to come up with a solution. The age old problem of how to keep the raccoons from eating it all. But it has never been as dire as right now. Word is out in the raccoon population. Come to Missy and Greg's house. Oy Vey. I am worried about our feral kitties. Back to this gray feral. OMG. Here's a photo I took. I included a video of him on IG. He's so pretty.



We also ran into a lost dog during our cycling adventures yesterday and had to hold him and call his owner (no easy feat as he wouldn't stay still lol he was so excited to see us) and so another delay waiting for his owner. Some people are so careless with their animals. Makes me angry.

We had a good ride and despite the winds we did it woohoo. Feels good to accomplish cycling in heavy winds. We had a good workout and I got some nice video of the ocean as we were riding along. It was breathtaking.

SO it's raining now and not sure when it will actually clear up. Hoping we can ride later. Might run to Costco when they open this AM so we can take it off our to do list for tomorrow as we are leaving Monday.

Have a great Caturday Saturday lovely ladies!!!

 

[missy]

Adding a few more photos to show the intensity of the ocean yesterday.



I took a still from my video to share it here. The video is better to be able to visualize the intensity but you can get an idea. It was awesome. The trail was getting soaked by the sea. Intense.






And a pantascopic shot as we were cycling.



OK enough from me and my endless photos. Enjoy a wonderful day! XO.

 

[Tekate]

@missy yes can't wait for Nov.. we will figure it out. My nephew (you know the one you may get to meet, Danny) his wife wife worked for Goldman Sachs till '14 and moved on.. (she is an attorney).. she said the pay sucks. She just started second job after GS.. not sure my son really wants GS.. they gotta want him, he just wants a BIG CITY

Raccoons... the cats are smaller than the raccoons right? I think so maybe Greg could make the opening smaller? I don't know.. all these animals use their sense of smell.. my older son adopted a feral cat and it's the quietest cat ever.. remind to tell you the REAL story about this beautiful kitty, Luna, I love her.

Man the water looks angry... stay safe, we are getting rain here in Maine today but tomorrow nice and my friends from CT are coming up!

have a great rest of the weekend Missy and Greg

 

[junebug17]

Hi Nirdis!

Missy, aw, thanks for the offer to watch my kitty! Actually, another option is my brother staying at my house while we're away. We're really not big travelers but when dh retires we might want to take a trip here and there. Who knows. Beautiful pics of Bubbalah! Your new coat is very pretty and does look like it will keep you warm. Wow, those are amazing pics of the ocean, beautiful but also a little intimidating! Oh no to the raccoons eating all the food, I'm so sorry and I hope you guys can figure something out. Such a sweet feral kitty, so nice you were able to feed him. My heart breaks for all these kitties out in the wild but sadly Greg is right, you guys are already doing so much and you can't save them all. Believe me, I wish it was possible. It's great you were able to contact the dog's owner, here's hoping that owner is more careful from now on.

Austina, our part of SC wasn't affected by the storm, but I feel so badly for those areas that were. How great to still have roses blooming. Fingers crossed the insurance company comes through and you can finally get your gate repaired. Always feels good to get a cut and color, that's for sure. Have a good time going out to dinner with your friends.

Marcy, I agree, it is just too early for such cold temps! I hope it warms up for you at some point. It's gotten chillier here. Your crockpot dinner sounds good, the perfect comfort food. Love Marty's sliippers, too funny!!! They actually look very comfy. Hope you have a lovely weekend and get a chance to rest and relax a bit. Hopefully Marty will listen to reason and get a snow survival kit!

Jimmianne, love what you did with dd's bedroom, and it will make a great studio. Love the windows and all the light coming in. I'll be thinking of you on Monday as you begin your journey back to the US.

@Tekate, I'm sorry your ds doesn't feel good about how he did in the interview, but he might have done better than he thinks. Job interviews are so stressful, I have a soft spot for people in their 20's who are trying to establish themselves. It's hard! Both my kids are attracted to cities too, they find them exciting and fun. I'm sorry to hear about all the damage to your son's in-laws place...and lol to being phony nice! Yeah, I've been there myself a few times and let's face it, sometimes there's just no other choice! Have a great time this weekend with your friends, sounds like it will be a lot of fun.

Sandeek, I am just so sorry for all you are going through. You sound like you are in great hands medically and you will make it through this. You are very strong and very brave and are handling everything so well. but I know it's really hard, and we are all here for you to lend you support and comfort. Sending lots of good thoughts to you, hang in there.

Sharon, ugh to those cold temps and I'm hoping it warms up for you next week so you can get a little more cycling in. Too early for such frigid weather!

I ended up going to my brother's on Thursday for a visit...yesterday would have made more sense weather-wise but it was a good day for him to get together. He's doing ok, and finally seems over his bout with kidney stones. He was having pain/discomfort on and off for several weeks. He put up crown molding in his condo (inbetween feeling ill :roll the man cannot rest) and omigosh what a difference, it looks great.
Not much on the agenda for this weekend, will probably just go out for dinner tonight.

I hope everyone has a great weekend!

 

[marcy]

Hi NIRDI’s!

Kate, I hope those months of antibiotics work for you. Do they bother you? I’m keeping you in my thoughts and sending you big hugs. I hope your DS finds a great job in the big city. Sending him mega good luck dust. Have fun with your friends from CT tomorrow.

Missy, Marty did get the sprinklers blown out then a friend of his always wants him to blow out the sprinklers at his place and at his rental house. He was done by about 1 today. I had him change the furnace filter and water filter under the sink while he was doing chores. i hope the rain clears up so you can cycle some more. Great picture of you in your new jackets. Awe that the feral kitty was so appreciative of some cat food. That is too bad the raccoons are eating so much of the cat food. Beautiful pictures of the ocean and trail from your ride.

Junebug, I agree it’s way too early for this much snow and cold. That’s great to hear your brother is feeling better. I hear kidney stones are very painful. I bet the crown molding he put up looks amazing. I hope you had a nice dinner out tonight.

I got most of the laundry done today including our sheets. I’ll wash towels and the table cloth tomorrow. We ran out and got Marty some sand for the back of his pickup. I will work on getting him to pack a winter survival bag tomorrow. I am sure he has an old duffle bag that would work.

This afternoon a friend of mine came over to talk to Marty about strength training and diet. After they had their consolation the 3 of us played cribbage.

We had popcorn and rented Skyscraper to watch.

It’s been snowing for about 3-4 hours now and both the front door and patio door have enough snow drifted up to them that snow fell inside when I opened them to check on the snow. it’s supposed to snow through about 9 am tomorrow. Oh no!

We picked up the sand at Lowes so I wandered over and looked at the Christmas decorations. I like sparkly things.

Speaking of sparkly things I am considering remounting my diamond. I am considering a thicker solitaire ring. My biggest concern is when it comes to rings I’d rather try them on so if I buy something locally or in Denver I am not sure I’d want them to mount my ACA. WF has a couple of solitaire mountings I like but it’s hard to say what they look like IRL. Decisions, decisions.

I do notice that with a temperature of 24 and windchill pulling it down to 11 degrees I am not feeing cold by our new windows. WOO HOO!!

Take care.
Marcy

Here is Tucker and Killer watching TV today. I guess they are buddies now. Marty says the cool kids hang out together.

 

[missy]

@missy yes can't wait for Nov.. we will figure it out. My nephew (you know the one you may get to meet, Danny) his wife wife worked for Goldman Sachs till '14 and moved on.. (she is an attorney).. she said the pay sucks. She just started second job after GS.. not sure my son really wants GS.. they gotta want him, he just wants a BIG CITY

Raccoons... the cats are smaller than the raccoons right? I think so maybe Greg could make the opening smaller? I don't know.. all these animals use their sense of smell.. my older son adopted a feral cat and it's the quietest cat ever.. remind to tell you the REAL story about this beautiful kitty, Luna, I love her.

Man the water looks angry... stay safe, we are getting rain here in Maine today but tomorrow nice and my friends from CT are coming up!

have a great rest of the weekend Missy and Greg

Hi @Tekate yes Greg is making the openings smaller but last time what happened was the raccoons got crazy upset and really destroyed a lot of the feeder. That is the reason he made this one with slightly larger openings. There is no perfect solution but we hope to find a middle ground because at this rate they are going through all the food in less than 2 days and we are leaving tomorrow and cannot come back so often. I am not sure how this is all going to play out but all we can do is the best we can and I am trying hard to not worry and get heartsick at the possibility of the cats not having food from our feeder. I really am at a loss as to what to do at this point if this does not work.

So pleased for you that your friends are visiting and your weather is improving. Have a wonderful time with them!

 

[missy]

GM girls!

@junebug17 thanks sweetie for all your kind and reassuring comments. Appreciated so much. And just so you know I am always available to watch sweet Zoe anytime! Glad you have your son and brother there to help you though as I guess the distance between us is sort of inconvenient but if you need me!
Hope you enjoyed a lovely dinner out last night and have a beautiful day today!

@marcy what a cutie. Sounds like you had a fruitful and fun day yesterday. Chores, games and good company and food. The perfect weekend day. I am interested how a thicker solitaire would look on you and please keep us posted. How exciting there are bling projects potentially in the works. I just purchased a band but not sure it will work ok but hey I went for it. What is life without risks lol. Fingers (haha fingers) crossed. How is the weather today? Snow sticking around? It is freezing here. We did cycle yesterday and it never got past the low 50s. Now it is in the 40s. Brrrrrrr. But we are braving the cold. I might be a petunia

but I am a determined petunia.

Hugs to Tucker and Killer from their Auntie Missy.

@Sandeek good morning! Hope you are enjoying a sweet weekend. Anytime you want to visit us at the shore please let us know. Happy to bring good memories to you and would love to have you come here. Or Brooklyn too for that matter. Anytime. Well, not anytime I need notice to clean the house but you know what I mean. Haha with traveling back and forth and 4 kitties at any given time either home might not be ready for visitors but all I need is a day's notice. Just saying. Have a good Sunday and hope you are feeling well!

@Tekate look at this from last night.We do not stand a chance. These raccoons are ridiculous pigs.




We went to Costco yesterday morning when they opened and were cycling by 10:30 AM. And I was freezing my you know what off and let's just say I do not have enough of a you know what to freeze it off lol. Today is even colder but we are heading out soon. Greg was just fixing one of my really warm cycling pants so I can hopefully wear it today. We did bring more cat food to that feral colony along the trail but did not see Grayson (my name for the gray feral) but saw 3 other kitties there so fed them. It really is an endless vicious cycle. Poor sweet feral cats. Life is cruel and hard and sometimes it feels like it never lets up.

Here is the red cat Greg (I was too freezing to take off my gloves) was feeding yesterday. Can you make him out? Not as friendly as Grayson. There were some shelters there and others do feed this feral colony along the Bayshore trail but obviously not enough as Grayson was so starving the other day. There are just too many feral cats and not enough people who care.





and look at the beautiful cool sky yesterday as we were cycling. Breathtaking.



Have a wonderful Sunday girls! XOXO.

 

[missy]

Two last photos. Sunset from last night and sunrise from this AM.
Love those cool crisp autumn sunsets and sunrises.
Nothing beats an amazing fall sky.

Sunset from last night. Wow.




Sunrise this morning. It was prettier IRL.

 

[missy]

And woohoo success! Greg rocks! He took out the chamois pad and now the winter cycling pants fit better. Thank you sweetie...I am ready to cycle in our 40 degree temps now. Fleece lined cycling pants rock.

And they are my favorite color too.



See y'all later girls. Stay safe and warm and have a fun Sunday!!!

 

[marcy]

Hi NIRDI's!

Missy, yay for braving the cold to cycle some more. Love your blue fleece lined cycling pants; those have to be toasty warm. I am glad to hear you found some more kitties to feed yesterday. Your sunrise and sunset pictures are amazing. Such fantastic colors.
As for my different setting idea; I will try to stick with around a 3mm band on a different setting. I tried on two 4 mm bands and honestly don't like them on my hand. Why am I thinking of a new setting? In my "mind" it looks like the scattered band my diamond is mounted on it is starting to get warped a little or out of round. Marty and my friend yesterday couldn't see what I was talking about though. I'd go with platinum if I didn't have 4 YG wedding bands that I wear with my ering. I just don't think I'd want anyone other than Whiteflash to move my diamond.

The sun is out finally but we had maybe 5 inches of snow? It's hard to tell because it was blowing sideways and drifting. Marty will have an icy drive to the airport. I think he is going to pack a winter survival bag - if for no other reason than to shut me up about it. Right now it feels like 4 degrees and won't get above freezing until mid day tomorrow.

Have a fabulous Sunday!
Marcy

 

[Austina]

Hello lovelies

Hi @Sandeek although the procedure sounds really unpleasant, I hope it’ll finally bring about a resolution to the horrors you’ve been going through. Will keep sending lots of positive thoughts your way. You’re right, I’m absolutely loving Bella, I keep telling myself she’s not THAT big

Safe travels @Jimmianne - I expect your mammoth trek has already started. Everything crossed for an uneventful trip home.

To 5” of snow @marcy, hope it’s not causing you too many problems and that Marty got safely on his way. Great news that your new windows are keeping the house warmer - reeeeesult

Would you go for another scatter band shank? I think you’re wise to stick with WF, they’ll take care of your beautiful diamond. It’s quite fashionable to mix metals these days, so, I don’t think it’d look odd if you do decide to go with platinum.

Hi @Tekate we always know when Adam’s bored - we hear from him a lot more often He’s got a college friend staying at the moment, so of course, not a peep out of him this past week Hope you’re continuing to cope well with the ABs and getting better by the day.

So glad your place in SC is OK @junebug17 , it must be a worry when these big storms come through. I hope you enjoyed your meal out, we had fun with our friends on Saturday, it was our treat by way of a wedding present.

Isn’t it amazing what a difference finishing touches make to a place? We have coving (crown moulding) in our place, and I think it really does complete a room.

Brrrrrrrrr @missy , sounds really cold there, good job you got your new togs to keep you toasty on your bike rides, and Greg is such a clever sausage fixing your pants for you.

What a beautiful little grey kitty, it’s so sad that there are so many near you, but fortunate that you and others are kind enough to look out for them. Is there any smell that raccoons don’t like that could possibly deter them from raiding the feeder?

We’ve had a bit of a stressful weekend. Friday evening when Colin was stroking Dottie, he found a lump on her side. We had to wait till this morning to get a vet appt (they use locum services at the weekend), but fortunately we got one immediately.

She was such a good girl while the vet palpated it, and she suggested a needle biopsy . I agreed for her to try, and she managed to do it, took the slide off to view and came back and said it’s a fatty lump, which was what I was hoping it was. It can’t be removed, because of its location, (attached to her stomach wall - too much muscle to cut through), but at least it’s benign. I couldn’t bear the thought that it was something sinister. It’ll probably get bigger, but hopefully won’t cause a problem. I know you all know you what a relief it is.

We’re going to see First Man this afternoon, will let you know if it’s any good.

 

[missy]

GM girls! Happy Monday. It's a perfect Monday here in that it's raining and dreary.

Hi @marcy I agree it's best to have Whiteflash do this job for you and I am excited for you and cannot wait to see what you decide. It's a fun though somewhat challenging decision. Take your time and enjoy the process. Wow on 5 inches of snow. Hope Marty had a safe easy drive to the airport. LOL yes to shut us up our men listen to us. That's a win IMO. Hope you reach above freezing temps soon and glad the sun came out for you yesterday.
Thanks for the photo compliments. The pants kept me very warm and I love the color. The sunrise and sunsets here are stunning and I really cannot take a bad pic of them.

@junebug17 I forgot to say I am so relieved for you and your brother that his bout with kidney stones seems to be resolved. Long may that continue. Hope you had a good Sunday and have a pleasant week ahead. I also have to ask you something but will text you. (((Hugs))).

@Sandeek have a good week and keeping you in my thoughts. And sending warm hugs and good wishes your way. (((Hugs))).

@Tekate hope you have a fun week in store for you and are feeling well. Hope you had fun with your friends the other day. XO.

@Austina omg what a scare and thank goodness sweet Dottie is OK. Heart stopping and I can only imagine how you felt waiting for that news. Sending you hugs and more hugs and please hug sweet Dottie from me too. XO.
Thanks for brainstorming for us regarding the raccoons. They are stubborn and determined and not much will stop them. Hoping that making the openings smaller help somewhat. It is a nail biting situation for sure.
Enjoy The First Man this afternoon and have fun. No more stress dust being sent your way.

Hello to everyone else and hope you all had a wonderful weekend.

Yesterday we had a great ride. It was cold but I was cozy. It started out in the high 40s but went to the high 50s so not as cold as I thought it would be. I am not sure I could cycle in 40 degree weather but I did buy new cycling pants last night online to try cycling in the colder weather. We met up with the Central Jersey Cycling Club accidentally and rode with them for a bit and had ice cream with them at Days. It was Days last day till Spring/Summer 2019 so glad we got to enjoy ice cream there yesterday. It was very fun meeting some of the CJBC members and though I told them I am not a joiner (they were trying to recruit us but easy and no pressure) we have plans to ride with one of the members next weekend weather permitting. I actually want to fix him up with my girlfriend who is in her 40s (he's my age) and he is so nice and funny and nice looking too and I think it would be a good match. He was born in Italy but moved here when he was 6 but longs to move back to Italy one day. Anyway her parents are from Italy and I just feel like they would hit it off. He's open to it but I am not sure my friend will be. I texted her and will call her tomorrow when I have time and see if she is open to it. Fingers crossed.

Greg finished the new openings to the plexiglass for the feral feeder and so far so good. Last night food consumption went down but he isn't sure it went down enough so we will see. Leaving in a few hours and not much more we can do so I am really keeping fingers toes and everything crossed that this works for the feral cats and they have enough food to last at least for a week because once a week is the best we can do to get back here in the colder weather. Please keep good thoughts for the kitties girls. Thank you!

OK enough gabbing from me. Pics from yesterday. Hope you enjoy.

Last Day at Days...for 2018. Photo by Gianpierre (of the CJBC)...the man I am hoping to successfully matchmake with my girlfriend.



My pic of our last ice cream of the year.



And lastly a selfie by Greg of us all riding together. Not everyone is in this photo as there were 8 member of the CJBC riding with us. GP aka John is the one on the left wearing blue.


Have a wonderful Monday girls!

 

[junebug17]

Hi all!

Missy, fleece pants are perfect for the chillier weather. Fingers crossed the smaller openings will help keep the raccoons out. How fun you met up with some other cyclists. Cute pics of you and Greg. The man you met sounds like a promising match for your gf and it would be great if it worked out. Gorgeous pics of the sunrise and sunset, amazing colors. Hoping your trip back to the city goes smoothly.

@marcy, so nice to see a bear and a rabbit getting along, and lol to them being the cool kids. Changing your ering setting sounds exciting but I do get that you'd be more comfortable with WF working on it. Having a friend over sounds like a great way to pass a snowy Sunday afternoon. Yikes to all the snow and I'm glad to hear your new windows are doing such a good job keeping the cold out.

Austina, so sorry to hear about Dottie's health scare and I'm relieved it wasn't something more serious. Our yellow lab had the same thing and it never caused him any trouble. Please give Dottie an extra pet from me. Hope you and Colin enjoyed the movie.

Sending good thoughts to our Jimmianne and hoping her trip is going smoothly so far. Xxx

Not much to report here, just running a few errands and doing some cleaning and clearing out. Hope eveyone has a pleasant Monday!

 

[PierreBear]

Hello hello! Reporting that we skipped a season and went straight from summer to winter. It was in the 90s this past weekend and this morning in the 50s. Argghhh I love Fall…. Come back!! Anyhow, this past weekend we started to taper for our upcoming race this weekend. So we did a lighter workout and changed up the routine where we biked on Saturday (to avoid the rain) and ran on Sunday. Finally felt like I had some energy during the bike and DH had to remind me that usually when we ride, we are still recovering from a long run the day before. Well all this to say, I’m feeling a bit more confident and excited about the New Orleans trip to see relatives and do the triathlon. For the past couple of months, training felt like a chore and always physically felt drained….but I think I’m slowly getting more excited and more confident. Speaking of relatives, grandma’s request has been to use Facebook to see more pictures and keep up with family. We got her a tablet and the first one we tried was Amazon Fire as it was rated high for kids (which would apply for elderly). Sorry to be so opinionated on a product but this was one of the worst items from Amazon. Felt like a marketing ploy….as you can’t remove ads and game popup etc from the locked screen unless you pay extra money. It is the first thing you see when you unlock your device…. Click here to play this game! Ridiculous and terrible for kids/elderly who should not be tempted by these things. Anyhow, only time was wasted but I just could not believe how highly rated this product was… Hopefully no one is reading my message on an Amazon fire tablet… hahaha… Oyyy I’ll call it a day and wish everyone well. Be safe and take care NIRDIs!

@junebug17 – Sounds like you have a productive day in sore with cleaning and clearing out. Do you decorate your place with themes? Some neighbors have their Halloween décor out already.

Glad you had a good visit with your brother What a handy man for putting up molding even though he hasn’t been feeling his best.

@missy – You are tough to be riding in the 40s. That’s a no no for me… wheeww… when my fingers and toes can get numb, I call it a day! Great job and good luck fixing your friends up.

@Austina – Sorry to hear about the Dottie scare!!! Hugs!

@marcy – 5 inches of snow? Safe travels out there!! Awww Tucker is adorable!!! Why are you considering remounting your diamond? Just for a different look or security? Good luck making the decision on where to send your beautiful stone!

@Sandeek – Oh man… good luck with the upcoming surgery. Will you heal before the holidays come up? Tough girl. Hang in there!

@Tekate – Wow, sorry that’s a lot of antibiotics to take. I hope your body tolerates it well.

 

[marcy]

Hi NIRDI’s!

Austina, very scary about Dottie. I am glad it is just fatty tissue; I hope it doesn’t bother her. I am delighted to hear you are totally enjoying Bella. I can see why she’s such a beauty. The snow is mostly melted; at least in the spots where the sun reached today. My front porch is total ice. I agree with you about WF, they would be the only ones I trust with my diamond. I might go try on assorted rings to see what I like. I do really like the scattered diamond band so that is why when I try on solitaires I don’t like them as well as what I have. If I had a plain shank though jewelry stores can easily polish it for me. I’m really wishy washy here, huh?

Missy, royal blue is probably my favorite shade of blue and we both know blue is the best color. At one point I think 90% of my clothes were some shade of blue. I had to venture out into other sections of the color wheel. Sunrises and sunsets over water are my all time favorite photos. You are right it’s hard to take a bad picture of them. Who knows if I’ll decide to get a new setting for my diamond but it will be fun to look around. I would only trust WF to mount the diamond. Glad you found the perfect gear to cycle in cooler weather. How fun to meet up with a cycling club. I hope fixing up that guy and your friend turns out well for everyone. I love happy endings. Great pictures. I hope the smaller opening keeps the raccoons out.

Junebug, i was looking at solitaire settings on WF, Adwar and Stuller. I have no idea what, if any; I’ll do. I was going to email my gem consultant at WF today but once I go down that path it will surely cost me some money. Good idea to do some cleaning out; it’s always a good feeling.

PierreBear, it seems like all of us are skipping fall. Darn. Good luck with your upcoming triathlon. That will be so exciting for you guys. Sorry to hear the Amazon Fire is such a poor product. Can you return it? I am a total fan of iPads if you want to take a look at them. I am thinking I want a slightly thicker band for my diamond. It’s all mental, wishful thinking. I have decided if I do anything; it will be through WF. I have Thursday off; I may go try on some assorted rings that afternoon. I’ll have to take all 4 bands I wear with me as well. It’s just a whim. Sometimes I think I’d like to get a matching wedding set.

Marty did not pack a winter survival bag. I tried. He did make it to the airport okay. He said it is very hot in LA compared to here. Go figure.

Take care.
Marcy

 

[missy]

GM girls! Reporting from Brooklyn, USA.

@junebug17 Junie, thank you! Hope your errands and chores went smoothly yesterday and that you enjoyed a nice Monday. Funny how fast the days go even when we have nothing special planned. Well at least they go speedingly fast for me no matter what it seems. Have you noticed how long it stays dark in the mornings now? I think we turn clocks back in a few weeks and though it gets lighter in the morning I do not care for how very dark it gets in the afternoon. Oh I am already longing for the longer days of summer. That did not take long. Hope the rest of your week goes well.

@marcy yes Blue is the best (IOO haha) and I think most of my clothes have some blue in them. My wardrobe is mainly blue, gray, and black I think. Works for me. I am proud of myself that I have not gone crazy purchasing clothes like I have done in recent years. I have so much and do not need more and am practicing good self control. Now if only I could say the same about diamond purchasing.

Sorry Marty did not pack a survival bag. Men. Lucky for him it is nice and warm in LA. Wish we were all there with him enjoying some sunny warm weather.
Yes, WF will do the best job mounting your WF diamond no doubt. I am excited to see what you decide. More bling for a NIRDI is more bling for all of us.
Sweet having Thursday off this week. Bling shopping Thursday. And I agree take all 4 bands with you to see what you enjoy and what works together. Good idea.

@PierreBear it seems we are also skipping autumn and going to winter. It's funny you wrote that because yesterday as we were driving back to NYC from the Jersey shore I said to Greg we have 2 seasons here in NY/NJ. Summer and winter. And perhaps that is an exaggeration but it has much truth in it.
I don't think I could cycle on a 40 degree day if it was that cold all day. If it starts out in the 40s but goes up to mid/high 50s I can do it. Don't give me too much credit.

So exciting your upcoming New Orleans trip for the triathlon and to visit with relatives. I know you and your dh will do amazingly well. And we are all routing for you girlfriend. And good for your grandma joining FB to keep up with relatives. My parents are hopeless with technology and barely know how to use their mobile phones.

@Tekate what's going on for you this week? How are you feeling? I am still taking a whole load of supplements and stuff as prescribed by my naturopath holistic PA but it's been months and I am considering stopping some of them as some act as antibiotics and I feel are harsh on my system. Also feels like some of this is hocus pocus and I don't want to cause any damage from these supplements. So hard to know the right thing to do. Hope all is well in Kate the Great land.

@Sandeek hello and good morning. How are you doing today? How is school going? How does it feel to be finished with the Hyperbaric chamber treatments for at least a while? Hopefully it feels like a huge relief and happy you have some more free time vs always having treatments. I know you cannot wait for this whole ordeal to be over. Sending you more hugs and good thoughts and one day you will look back on this time being over as surreal as it feels right now and you will be like wow that felt like a lifetime ago. And it will be the hugest relief. Cannot wait for that time for you. Healthy and happy days soon.

@Jimmianne welcome to your other home and hope you are glad to be back. I know your animals are so happy you are back with them.

We had an easy trip back here yesterday. Uneventful and everything went smoothly. There was a car accident right in front of us in NJ yesterday afternoon but no one was hurt and it didn't delay anyone as they pulled over immediately. The car in front of us rear ended the car in front of him. The driver who did the rear ending (he was distracted as we had some stop and go traffic at that point so no one was moving fast) was driving a Maserati and he had all the damage to his car as the pickup truck he hit was hardy and did not appear to get damaged. Glad no one was hurt.

Back to life as usual. Looking forward to next week as I am getting some visitors (wow time is moving so fast) and in fact I have a few visits scheduled in the next few months from long distance friends so very much looking forward to that. Francesca has her echocardiogram scheduled next week too and she has been coughing more so I am concerned about that but will take things one day at a time as I know is best to do and deal with it when we know more. She otherwise appears to be in good spirits and is a sweet sweet baby.

Enjoy a lovely Tuesday girls. I have lots of cleaning up/organizing and straightening up to do here. Looks like a tornado hit our apartment and I must put things away. Oh if I only had a robot who could take care of all these boring tasks for me.

Leaving you with a photo of my BIL's motorcycle and how he decorated it for Halloween. I love this BIL as he is so sweet and funny and always so kind and nice to me from the beginning. He used to have a sidecar for this motorcycle (that he has since gotten rid of as his girls (my nieces) are almost grown up now) and he took me for a ride in that sidecar in the 90s when I first met him and we were visiting them in Florida. They now live in St Louis. Anyway here is a photo of it. The perfect Halloween decoration.



Stay safe (no riding motorcycles please) and enjoy a lovely day!

 

[PierreBear]

Hello! Chomping on my salad today as I check in and say hello! I’ve been getting intimate with my new best friend, the bucket that catches the water in the HVAC area. Hahaha.. everyday I open him up and take a peep to see how much water has filled up with all this rain. Can’t believe how much of it has filled up but at least it’s being caught and not running rampant throughout the beams/drywall. Surprisingly, haven’t had much anxiety about it even when DH is out of town. Anyhow, my sweet coworker brought some leftover cake for me. Maybe all my brain power is going towards the enjoyment of my favorite cake instead of water issues. Oh the other blessing is finding out that my cousin is pregnant with her first baby. She’s a close family member so it feels like my sister is having a baby. Very exciting and might be able to see her this upcoming Nov if she also travels back to Taiwan or else we will probably make a trip next year to visit. I’m def ready to be a fun Aunt. OK hope everyone stays warm. I’m so pumped to be able to wear scarfs again!

@marcy – Thankfully we were able to return it. Appreciate your idea on the ipad. I’ve had an ipad before through work. Although a very old one, the operating system was easy to use and the product was beautiful. However, the price point is pretty high for Grandma who might or might not really use it. So we went with the Samsung product since our phones are all Samsung and are used to that operating system. Booted it up yesterday and it was exactly what we need. Simple… clean… not much going on. Will continue to get it all set up for Grandma.

Oh neat that you want to change up the band. There is something about a thick sturdy band that feels nice on my hand. My 5 stone band is thicker than all my other rings. As much as I like dainty and delicate rings, I do like the feeling of a sturdy and thick band too! Can’t wait to see what you decide!

Lucky Marty to be able to escape the cold and go to LA. Oh by the way, how is his shoulder doing? Did it ever fully heal up?

@missy – Technology for the older generation is hard. My mom sends me messages through an application and it is a struggle as it is. I’m pretty sure in 40 years, I’ll be the one confused about technology. I’m only using half the social media platforms that most of my friends are using. Haha uhhh ohh… Hope your health is well.

Your BIL sure has a sense of humor. Very cute! PS Their home is beautiful… those shutter windows are adorable. Are they just decorative or does it close?

 

[Austina]

Hello lovelies

Glad to hear you got back to the city with no problems @missy. I’ve been reading up, and apparently raccoons hate cayenne. It’s recommended to mix it with hot sauce, spray it around, and it deters them Hopefully it won’t deter cats, but it might be worth a try.

Your BIL sounds a hoot, love the photo.

I had to at Grandma @PierreBear , keeping up with FB. Good for her for embracing social media. Congratulations to your cousin, exciting times for them.

I’m glad the snow’s been melting @marcy , it looks pretty enough, but once it turns to ice, it’s so dangerous. Take good care out there.

I can’t wait to see what you decide for your ring, wooho to having Thursday off.

Thanks for all the good wishes for Dottie, she’s had lots of extra hugs today from her NIRDI aunties

Not much going on here today, went to Pilates this morning, made a huge cottage pie this afternoon, enough for 2 meals.

Hope all the NIRDIS are doing well.

 

[Tekate]

@marcy and the beautiful and kind @missy sorry I haven't been around, I have had the friends from high school here and I've been out and about! thank you and @Austina and all the NIRDI chicks for being so kind, it really is luck I found NIRDIs (and Missy )

Okay Ladies I've not read anything because I have to go out again.. but I have NEWS!!

okay ready? here goes!

I am going to be a grandmother! my son and DIL are expecting a daughter (A DAUGHTER!!!!) in April, my nephew is having a boy in April as I have said.. this is just sooooooooo exciting... I will be back to follow up later this evening and read how everyone is..

sending hugs to you all BBL!

Kate

eta: notice I did that in pink I think my son was shocked as he expected it to be a boy! ha!

 

[Austina]

Congratulations @Tekate , how wonderful for you all

 

[canuk-gal]

HI NIRDIs!

Had a short but good bike ride today--high of 18C! Finally the weather we should be having! Most of the snow is gone thank goodness, but a bit of ice on the pathway where I almost wiped out! I was thinking I could have been Missy. But I haven't cycled in so long I think I forgot how. I am pooped! My DH isn't feeling well so he stayed home and worked.

Hope everyone is doing well. Sorry for your snowy weather Marcy and sorry for your continual roof leaks PB.

See the WHITE Rockies in the horizon.

 

[missy]

@marcy and the beautiful and kind @missy sorry I haven't been around, I have had the friends from high school here and I've been out and about! thank you and @Austina and all the NIRDI chicks for being so kind, it really is luck I found NIRDIs (and Missy )

Okay Ladies I've not read anything because I have to go out again.. but I have NEWS!!

okay ready? here goes!

I am going to be a grandmother! my son and DIL are expecting a daughter (A DAUGHTER!!!!) in April, my nephew is having a boy in April as I have said.. this is just sooooooooo exciting... I will be back to follow up later this evening and read how everyone is..

sending hugs to you all BBL!

Kate

eta: notice I did that in pink I think my son was shocked as he expected it to be a boy! ha!

OMG dear Great Kate...CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!!

Soon to be Great Kate the Greatest Grandma.